London attacker who lived in Ireland was refused asylum in Britain - RTE

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DUBLIN (Reuters) - One of the three attackers that killed seven people in London on Saturday was refused asylum in Britain but was able to remain there through a European Union residence card granted in Ireland, Irish state broadcaster RTE reported on Tuesday.

British police on Monday named Rachid Redouane, a 30-year-old from Barking in east London who claimed to be Moroccan and Libyan, as one of the three attackers shot dead during the knife and van attack.

Irish media reported that an Irish identification card was found on Redouane’s body, and Prime Minister Enda Kenny confirmed that one of the attackers lived in Ireland for a time but did not attract the attention of law-enforcement.

RTE said, without citing sources, that Redouane was refused asylum in Britain but was granted a ‘4 EU FAM’ residence card after getting married in Ireland in 2012, which allowed him to apply for a permit to remain in Britain when he left Ireland.

A ‘4 EU FAM’ card grants a non-European Economic Area family member permission to stay in the EU.

Ireland has a common travel area with Britain that allows the freedom of movement of people within the two islands as well as the rights to reside, work and access public services. It hopes to maintain the bilateral system, which predates its EU membership, after Britain leaves the bloc.

Britain’s Home Office and Irish police declined to comment on the report.